What retailers can learn from viewer frustration at NBC Olympic coverage.

I watched Bruce Jenner before he was a Kardashian. I cried when Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect ten. I ran the school track barefooted because Zola Budd rocked. Therefore, I eagerly anticipate the Olympics.

With this joie to vivre, I opened a jar of hummus and a Pabst Blue Ribbon (I’m patriotic too) at 4:00 on Friday. I anxiously scanned 2000 channels only to find that the opening ceremony was tape delayed.

Moreover, I was blocked from the BBC live coverage because of the agreement with NBC. After consulting with my tech friends, I downloaded Tunnel Bear and tried to watch it that way to no avail.

My frustration at being blocked from live coverage was compounded by the fact that Twitter and other social media were buzzing with images and comments from the ceremony—a ceremony that I could not watch for another three hours. I returned the hummus to the frig, but kept the PBR out to nurse the agony of defeat.

A New Hash Tag is Born

Once the broadcast started, my annoyance erupted to frustration. The commercials were overwhelming, the commentary made even my 13-year-old son say “They really don’t know much do they, Mom?” and many poignant parts of the ceremony were edited out in favor of commercials and interviews.

Two hours into it, I gave up but not before seeing that I was not alone. Twitter was no longer buzzing. It was flaming and the most popular hash tag was #NBCfail.

As a businessperson, I understand that NBC paid $1.2 Billion for the Olympic coverage and needed to recoup that investment. However, the way they treated me as a customer, made me dislike the brand, abandon the coverage and lose my enthusiasm for the games.

Some of the problems that NBC had with the Olympic coverage are not unlike things that retailers do to annoy their customers.

Real Time in a Social Media World

For the past year, the 2012 Olympics have been touted as the “first social media games.” As such, NBC should have figured there was an expectation for real time data. In a globally connected world, ‘now’ is the norm.

A delay of three hours feels like an eternity. In that amount of time, the meme is old and something else is trending. Because of this fast transmission of information, consumer patience is at an all-time low.

The competing demands of modern life make time a precious commodity. If you don’t value your customer’s time, then they will go elsewhere.

Don’t Dumb it Down

Because of easy access to information, Gen Y might not be able to name all the state capitals. Instead, they’ve become very adroit at looking things up. Moreover, they are worldly and politically astute

Jokes about the names of countries or saying how Sudan has that genocide thing sorted do not endear you to customers no matter the generation.

This is especially true because there were many interesting things that could have been discussed. For instance, the success of Tubular Bells actually launched Virgin Records. Why did the commentators feel the need to focus on the vapid rather than the relevant and interesting?

Today’s consumer is sophisticate and craves information that is factual and in context. If you try to be gimmicky you will alienate rather than endear your customers.

Over Restriction Causes Revolt

Because NBC blocked me from seeing content in other avenues, I went out of my way to circumvent them. Moreover, I’ve only watched one bit of coverage since then—the women’s gymnastics.

If Nadia Comaneci was competing in this year’s Olympics, I’d surely have missed it because the camera was trained only on Americans. Isn’t that the fun of the games? To see the diversity?

Because I felt so restricted as a consumer and viewer, I opted out. Instead, I get my coverage from other sources. If you are too restrictive in policies, then your customers will seek ways to avoid engaging with you.

Quid Pro Quo

Part of the bargain of network television is that you get free content and they get to market to you. Likewise, your customers know you need to make money in order to remain open to serve them. However, they expect things to be reciprocal and in balance.

Unfortunately, NBC quit respecting my time and interests by airing a commercial every five minutes and eliminating coverage—like the tribute to the London bombing victims in favor of Ryan Seacrest.

In addition, NBC did their advertisers a disservice. I was so bombarded that 1. I can’t remember any specific advertisement and 2. I was irritated with the abundance of commercials and that had a transitive effect on the brands presented.

When you lose sight of why your customer is there and instead focus on your own objectives, you risk alienating them. Customers understand you need to make a profit. However, you need to ensure that they never feel victimized as you do so.

More commercials than content made viewers abandon NBC coverage.

Summary

NBC had an opportunity to create energized customers for themselves and the brands they represent. Instead, they spawned two popular hash tags #NBCfail and #NBCsucks. Some steps you can take to ensure that you don’t end up as the unpopular meme of the day are:

– Ensure that you respect your customers’ time and provide them with the data they need when they need it.

– Realize the clock has sped up and that means customers expect things ‘now’. Design your systems and processes with that in mind.

– Recognize that today’s customer is sophisticated and resourceful. Talk to them in a language that acknowledges this. Yes, they want information in bite-sized morsels, but they don’t want it to be without substance. The cardinal rule is to be authentic and useful.

– Consider whether or not your policies and procedures are highly restrictive and designed without mutual benefit in mind. If they are, you force your customers to go elsewhere.

– Remember customers understand you need to make a profit. However, they want to feel like they received value.

Think of social media as an opportunity get real time feed back. If you listen and adapt then you will continually improve the customer experience. Hopefully, NBC will rectify some of their challenges before Rio in 2016.

Burger King was thrust into crisis mode when a photo of an employee abusing the lettuce went viral

How can three employees, a smart phone and a social website throw a major company into crisis mode? You might want to ask Bryson Thornton, director of global communications for Burger King that question.

Thorton and his team have been doing damage control since a picture of an employee standing in lettuce went viral. The caption read, “This is the lettuce you eat at Burger King.”

The photo was originally posted on the site 4Chan, which allows users to post and comment anonymously. The image outraged enough people on 4Chan that they used the photo’s geotagging to identify the store as the Mayfield Heights, Ohio location.

Soon social media was flooded with comments and shares and the franchise with calls from angry customers and inquiring media. By the time Burger King communications could spring into action, the picture had gone viral and global news outlets were covering the story.

Rogue Brand Impressions

Brand strategists frequently define a brand as the emotional connection you create with your customer and the space that you occupy in their minds. It is impossible to think of how a picture of an employee standing in food about to be served to customers can create anything other than disgust. Therefore, the Burger King brand and the emotions created by this image are forever linked in consumers’ minds.

Once the photo spread and Burger King corporate became aware of it, they immediately issued a statement, which said:

Burger King Corp. has recently been made aware of a photo that shows a Burger King restaurant employee violating the company’s stringent food handling procedures. Food safety is a top priority at all Burger King restaurants and the company maintains a zero-tolerance policy against any violations such as the one in question.

While the statement is well worded, timely and reaffirms Burger King policy on food safety, it cannot erase the image from dinner’s minds.

Brand, culture and employees

The modern reality is that people share even the most intimate details of their lives. Things that weren’t said aloud 20 years ago are conversation starters on social media today.

A workplace prank can suddenly become a public relations nightmare. All it took to spawn the Burger King crisis was a simple image shared on one site.

While significant damage can be done to a brand through social media, there is no getting this genie back into the bottle. It has become the way in which Millennials or Gen Y prefer to communicate. In fact, many manage their lives though social media.

Progresses companies like T.G.I. Friday’s have recognized that employees will share. Instead of trying to quash this with Draconian policies, they have embraced it and provided a positive, sanctioned outlet for dialogue and expression.

Fridoids is a site where Friday’s employees can share stories about celebrities who visit their locations, tips for customer service and fun pictures that exemplify the culture. Moreover, the policy around this site is simply “don’t do evil.” Employees self-police and share in a way that embodies the Friday’s culture and brand.

The reality is that companies can’t silence employees. Instead, they need to provide positive outlets buttressed by a well-defined social media policy.

This may not stop rogue employees. However, many companies, like T.G.I. Friday’s, are recognizing that building a positive culture of engaged employees who self-police is the way forward in a social sharing world. You can bet your Whopper that Burger King will be considering how they could have avoided this incident.

Retailers should follow the Hippocratic Oath when dealing with customers.

Hippocratic Oath of Customer Experience

For thousands of years, physicians have been taking the Hippocratic Oath to “first do no harm”. This philosophy is also excellent advice for anyone dealing with customers rather than patients.

I come from a long line of shoppers—perhaps that is why I am so passionate about retail. When I was growing up my Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother would drag me off for marathon shopping trips each Saturday.

We would frequent stores where the clerks all knew my grandmothers. They would set aside things that might possibly interest them. They knew their names, sizes, tastes and those of my other family members. Contrast that with my experience this Saturday morning.

The Experience

I had a simple list. Pick up a book club selection, find wrapping paper and a card for a gift, and a cake for a cookout. Fairly simple stuff—or so you’d think.

First, I went to Barnes & Noble. In the spirit of transparency, I love my Kindle and have not purchased a physical book in a while. However, Catcher in the Rye isn’t available digitally and that’s this month’s selection. Therefore, Barnes & Noble had a perfect opportunity to ‘recover me’ as a loyal customer. Instead, to be blunt, they pissed me off.

How did they do that?

Clerk: Do you have a discount card?

Me: (in good mood) Yes, but not with me. Can you look it up?

Clerk: What’s your phone number?

Me: 919-xxx-xxxx. That may not be the right number. We’ve moved and switched phones. Not sure which number I signed up with.

Clerk: That isn’t your number.

Me: Can you look it up by my name?

Clerk: Not here. You have to go to customer service. Do you want to buy a new card for $25.

Me: You mean I have to get out of line to go find my number?

Clerk: Yep. (glares at me)

Me: Why would I buy a new card when I already have one?

Clerk: Clearly you don’t know your phone number.

Me: (giant WTF stare and then I look at the line of people who I don’t want to make wait) Just ring it up.

Me to my husband as we leave: This is why I love Amazon.

So Barnes & Noble has systems that don’t talk to one another. Instead of trying to help me get my number, they try to sell me something I already have. Moreover, I’m the perfect customer for them. Books are a priority in my family. Yet, they seem to be trying to get rid of me.

Next, I head downtown for my other items. There is a stationery store by the bakery and I pop in for the wrapping paper and a card. I can’t help but think the store smells strange—kind of like a litter box. As I’m looking at my husband oddly, a giant Ewok of a cat rubs against my leg. I’m in a panic as I’m highly allergic to cats.

I race to the door knowing my afternoon is ruined because I’ll be in a Benadryl induced stupor. The clerk looks at me strangely as I bolt out almost knocking over a display. Over my shoulder, I call out “Sorry. Allergic to cats.” I’m already wheezing as we make our way to the bakery.

When we enter the bakery, the experience is completely different. The pastries are beautifully arranged. There are samples that the clerks are happily sharing with other customers. The cakes are so delicious that the customers are selling them to one another.

I ask a clerk which one she’d recommend for a summer cook out. Eagerly, she describes the strawberry amaretto in butter cream. I’m sold! Carefully, she packages it up for me.

Then she asks me “Have you thought about what you are going to do for your sister’s shower?” I instantly order yet another cake. I don’t feel upsold. I feel relief. And guess what? I can’t wait to come back. I feel a bit of that joy of those Saturdays spent shopping with the women of my family.

Contrast that with how I feel about the other two stores. I’m not going back to a store that wants me to do all of the work and them to just take my money. I’m definitely not going to the cathouse. In fact, as my eyes swell shut, I reach for my phone to add a tip on Four Square “AVOID if you are allergic to cats.”

First Do No Harm

When you are crafting a customer experience, you need to seriously consider if your processes, procedures or choices cause your customers pain.

For instance, up to 30% of the population has a cat allergy. On what planet does it make sense to alienate that many potential customers?

Why would you train your staff to try to sell someone a new discount card before you try to look up their old one? Or even worse, why would you implement a system that doesn’t allow for multiple ways to look up customer data?

Things to Consider

When you are creating user journeys or customer experiences, make sure you look for any places you may cause the customer pain. Some things to consider are:

Are you selling at the right time? (not when the customer has a need that you are not resolving)

Is your staff adequately trained on how you wish them to engage with the customer?

Do you have adequate feedback loops so complaints can be addressed before they become big issues?

Are you monitoring social media for ‘customer pain’

Do you shop your stores anonymously to see what the experience is like?

Conclusion

Like physicians, retailers need to ask themselves if what they are doing causes damage to your customer and the relationship you want to have with them. It is difficult for anyone to go from pissed off to delighted in one experience.

Therefore, you should be vigilant in looking for things that may potentially do harm. While there are not lives at stake, the viability of your business may be. My husband and I are already taking bets on how long the cat stationery shop will be in business. Anyone want to take a long position?